Wales is home to 641 castles, more than any
other country in Europe. You’re encouraged to visit them: climb towers, walk
ancient walls and explore dungeons. This is the land of magic, myth and
dragons.

Wales is home to HRH Prince William of
Wales. Royal connections abound, and everyone can be spoiled by staying in
hotels formerly owned by kings and queens. Across the country, the art of
old-fashioned hospitality is thriving, albeit with modern amenities and a
contemporary Welsh style.

Escape to a country full of breathtaking views,
quaint towns, Celtic heritage and endless culture.

Most of all, you’ll experience a friendly
“croeso.” That’s Welsh for “welcome,” and you’ll feel it everywhere you go in
Wales.

Two hours from London by train or car you’ll
find Cardiff, our capital city of 300,000 people. Four universities and a
vibrant population fuel a cosmopolitan city atmosphere. Cardiff Castle stands
at the heart of downtown and Edwardian shopping arcades (Britain’s first malls)
house charming one-of-a-kind shops.

It’s rare to find three national parks in a
country the size of Massachusetts. But in Wales you’ll discover unique
landscapes and a world of outdoor adventure. In the Snowdonia
National Park, climb Snowdon - the tallest mountain in England and Wales - or
take a historic steam railway to the summit. Explore the Pembrokeshire
Coast National Park taking in sandy coves, fishing villages, cliff-top
walks and see the rich nesting grounds for millions of seabirds. In the
distance, spot dolphins in Cardigan Bay, or journey between islands watching
seals basking in the sun. Tour the Brecon Beacons National Park on
horseback, bicycle or on foot to really be at one with the enchanting
landscape.

While most of travelers in UK tend to
gravitate to London including some day trips from there, often overlooked Wales
offers great opportunities for a destination rich Norman and Roman heritage,
and an unique culture shaped through years of history.

It is one of the most popular European destinations now but Americans
only started to discover it. It is not overrun by tourists yet. It offers 641
castles, amazing scenery, steam trains, sheep, national parks with coastal and
mountain scenery, excellent local flavors of seafood, lamb and cheeses.

Wales’ greatest contribution to European literature is The Mabinogion –
medieval Welsh folk tales came to prominence in the mid 19th century. Their
most famous literary figure is Dylan Thomas who wrote poems and short stories
including ‘Under Milk Wood’. Other writers to come from Wales include
children’s favorite Roald Dahl who was born in Cardiff to Norwegian parents and
Sarah Waters shortlisted for the Booker and Orange prize for her novel
‘Fingersmith’. Or for fans of British show Dr. Who, or “The Prisoner”.

But the most wonderful asset of Wales it’s friendly, relaxed people.
Whenever we went, we experienced good service with smile, and even from people
on the street who did not need our business. The people wanted to know where we
came from and were genuinely interested how we loved their land.

Food – was excellent. From regular UK fare fish and chips which we ate a
lot – to gourmet cuisine in upscale restaurants, it was well prepared and
presented with emphasis on local home grown food. I liked the most Welsh
rarebit, scones, Welsh cakes, and seafood. Michael enjoyed scotch and beers.
Cheeses were on a par with French. I liked especially award winning Caerphilly
cheese.

Accommodations.

From well known city hotels like Radisson Blue to unique countryside
properties of Welsh Rarebit collection, all of them offer good quality
hospitality and were unique in its own way.

Itinerary. You can cover a lot of Wales in a week, but if you have more
time, I would add on central part with Beacon Brecon national park. Sometime
people just to come to Cardiff and stay there, but it is a large city and while
it does offers a castle and museums but countryside is the best.

How to get there?

We came from Amsterdam by air – There is nonstop flight on DL/KLM from
USA via Amsterdam.

From London, it is about 2.5 hour by train but for people who already
been in London and interested only in Wales, it is better to fly to Manchester
or Liverpool. It is also cheaper since London is much more expensive.

Wales also combines very well with Ireland since there are ferries in 2
ports of Wales from Ireland.

Touring

There are different ways of travel

City stay on our own with hop on/off bus, and visit of Castle and Museum

Day trip out of Cardiff with Wales Where When minivan tour

Self-drive

Using local driver/guide

My suggestion would be to use local
driver/guides. Even though it was interesting to explore on our own, but 3 days
with local people really made our touring very special.

We did not mind driving but I can see that the best way to be in a new
country is to be with a local guide who loves his country and loves sharing his
culture and history. Because you can drive does not mean you should drive. We
enjoyed the scenery more at the day with local guide than any other day on our
own. Plus it meant we could also have a beer in the local pub. All guides we
used were excellent with good local knowledge, shared the secret places to see
and eat, knew access to special sites and told local legend.

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